As the Aug. 7 primaries approach, the races are about as exciting as eating salt-free soda crackers with the exception of the GOP lite governor showdown and the Democratic primary in the insurance commissioner's race.

 

The Phil Bryant/Charlie Ross race for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor is an interesting race with all the trimmings. The George Dale/Gary Anderson race for the Democratic nomination for state Insurance Commission pits two strong candidates in that primary to choose a November opponent for Republican state Sen. Mike Chaney.

 

BARREN WASTELAND?

 

Otherwise, the statewide primaries are a rather barren political wasteland. Once the primaries are over, however, things should heat up nicely for the November general election.

The general election for lieutenant governor, in which the Bryant/Ross winner takes on Democratic state Rep. Jamie Franks of Mooreville, will be a competitive race, but Franks will be the underdog.

The favorites going into the primaries in the secretary of state's race are Democrat John Windsor of Corinth and Republican Delbert Hosemann of Jackson. That should be your November matchup with Hosemann the favorite.

 

In the state auditor's race, the Democratic favorites appears to be Jacob Ray and Todd Brand while Republican Stacey Pickering gets a pass in the primaries.

 

But perhaps the most interesting race looming in November is the one race in which Mississippi Democrats should have a clear, decided advantage - Attorney General Jim Hood's re-election campaign. Hood's in good graces with the Democratic Party and with the wealthy trial lawyers who have tended in recent years to be the party's financial backers.

 

Hood's an excellent campaigner, is capable of disagreeing agreeably and is a cool customer under fire. In other words, Hood's currently the biggest bullet in the Democratic Party's gun in the 2007 elections.

 

Awaiting Hood in November is Gulf Coast attorney and longtime Republican Al Hopkins.

 

INTERESTING MATCH

 

Hopkins, 66, has lived on the Gulf Coast for years but is a native of north Mississippi and a graduate of Delta State University. He's also a retired general in the Mississippi National Guard.

 

While Hood is the clear favorite in the race, Hopkins is a very credible candidate and is capable of putting together enough constituencies statewide to make the race interesting on his own.

 

Hopkins already has a fundraising lead on Hood as of the July campaign finance reports. Hopkins had $356,000 cash on hand to Hood's $289,000.

 

And that's before we see how much Barbour does to help down ticket candidates try to achieve a down ticket sweep for the GOP in November. Does Barbour simply make a few speeches and joint appearances with Chaney, Hosemann and Hopkins using the spare change from his $7.7 million campaign war chest to nail down a GOP win in the lieutenant governor's race or does he share the wealth?

 

There's a pattern here. Republicans aren't just looking for Barbour to dispatch his Democratic opponent for governor in November - they're measuring the length and strength of Barbour's political coattails.

 

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